As the commander of Yuzhou, Yan Jia has 50,000 troops in his hands, so the emperor naturally wants to meet him.
When the Yan family heard that Concubine Shu was coming, they were naturally happy. But later they received news that Concubine Shu missed the eldest princess so much that she went back before reaching Bianzhou.
There must be something behind this, but the Yan family doesn't know it, so they dare not act rashly.
Furthermore, although they have the power to command 50,000 troops, Concubine Shu's father, Xinyang Marquis Yan Bin, does not have direct control over them.
The power of these 50,000 troops is divided among three generals under his command. These three were the ones who had followed the previous emperor to fight on the battlefield. However, he can only mobilize 10,000 troops at will.
All of this was arranged by the late emperor before his death. He was afraid that Yuzhou would become powerful and independent, so he divided the power.
Therefore, even if Yan Bin could cover the sky with one hand in Yuzhou, he dared not disrespect the new emperor. Even though Concubine Shu gave birth to the eldest princess, she was not a powerful figure in the palace.
If Ning Chen was really afraid of the Yan family, he would not have sent Concubine Shu back to the palace just because of his personal likes and dislikes.
The group arrived in Yuzhou at night and stayed in a mansion that had been prepared long ago.
Touring the north as a jasak was something that every emperor of the Southern Qi dynasty would do, so they had preparations for the journey.
A banquet was held the next day, where Ning Chen entertained officials from Yuzhou.
Yuzhou is a vast area, and there are more than twenty local officials in this area. Those who had the opportunity to come this time were all of the fifth rank or above, so there were eight of them.
Among them were the three generals who had cut into the Yan family’s military power.
General Zhao and General Liu were the older ones, about forty years old, and each led 10,000 soldiers.
The youngest is General Huo Pingbei, who leads 20,000 troops and is only in his early thirties. He grew up in the army and his father died on the battlefield. Although he is young, he has military merits and is acquainted with Ye Zhe.
After Concubine Shu left, Concubine Jing had the highest rank among the concubines. She took on the responsibility and entertained the families of several ministers.
Of course, this was also Ning Chen's order. Concubine Jing is not a brainless person. It would be an overstepping of authority for her to take the initiative to do this.
"Are you in a bad mood, Lady Ming? Why are you just eating and not talking? If you are not feeling well, please don't drink. I will ask someone to bring you something new to drink." Concubine Jing said gently.
Ye Jun smiled slightly, "Thank you for your concern, Madam. I am fine. I guess I am tired from the journey and haven't recovered yet."
At this moment, Concubine Lin also smiled and said, "I am indeed tired after the long journey. I have always been in poor health, so I shamelessly ask Your Majesty to let me leave the table first."
"You are weak, and you come out here just to relax. You must not get tired. It's okay to leave first later." Concubine Jing naturally didn't make things difficult for her.
"Then I would like to thank Your Majesty in advance." Concubine Lin nodded slightly.
Everyone seemed to be on good terms with each other, but at this moment Li Wanrong interrupted.
She still found out a little about what happened that day. Even though Concubine Shu was sent back to the palace, Ye Jun did not sleep with him, and the emperor never summoned her again afterwards.
Concubine Fang and Chen Wanrong had been there to have meals with him, but she was not there. I guess the emperor was angry with him.
After thinking about this, Li Wanrong felt that if Ye Jun was going to fall out of favor, why not take revenge
"Jie Yu Lin has always been in poor health, and everyone in the palace knows it. How come Concubine Ming is also in poor health? I haven't heard that she is sick or in pain. Is she mentally ill? Concubine Ming always likes to persuade others to be at ease, but why is she like this when it comes to herself?"
"Li Wanrong knows medical skills?" Ye Jun asked slowly.
"Of course not, but I can guess and see a little bit." Li raised her chin.
Ye Jun turned around and glanced over coldly, "Does Li Wanrong know how to read minds and face?"
"No, it won't happen either, but isn't it obvious to anyone with eyes?"
Feeling a little timid when asked by her, Li clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly to avoid showing her timidity.
Ye Jun sneered and lowered his eyes. "No one can see that I am sick, but you insist on saying so. You also claim that you are a man of good eyesight. Are all the people present blind? Or are you cursing me to become sick? After all, my position is higher than yours. Cursing someone higher than me is a sin."
She was just in a bad mood and was really tired, but she could handle Li with ease.
Li Wanrong had never thought it would be like this. Now she was being framed and was considered wrong no matter what. She was very angry but had no choice but to bow her head.
"My lady, you have misunderstood. I am only concerned about your health and have no other intentions. If I have offended you, please forgive me."
They were still at the banquet, and it would certainly not look good if they made a scene. Ye Jun ignored her without saying anything.
Li's face turned red and white, and she was very embarrassed.
She was the one who started the trouble, but was so angry that she was unable to fight back. She bowed her head and admitted her mistake, but the other party still ignored her. Ye Jun entered the palace later than her and was younger than her, which made her feel embarrassed.
But everyone acted as if they saw nothing and continued to eat, drink and talk.
At the main seat, Ning Chen was drinking with the ministers, but he couldn't help but look over there.
Today, Ye Jun was wearing a long brocade dress in the color of a crabapple with a dark pattern. She had her hair done in a bun with a moon-chasing bun in it. The hairpin with a gold diamond-shaped flower on it was given to her by him last time. It matched her outfit perfectly.
Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, her cheeks were lightly flushed, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes were drooping, as if she was sad, cold and quiet.
"Your Majesty." Yan Bin picked up the wine glass and shouted.
Ning Chen withdrew his gaze and thoughts, and raised his glass in response with a smile.
After finishing the cup, Yan Bin secretly glanced at Ye Jun as he sat down.
As a man, the emperor could tell from the look he gave Ye Jun just now that he cared a lot.
But there is no news that Lady Ming is very favored. It seems that this girl from the Ye family will rise in the future.
I still have to find a way to tell the concubine in the palace to pay more attention.
The dinner was over and Ye Jun came out and stood at the door without moving.
After Li Wanrong came out, he turned around and slapped her.
"You, you, Lady Ming, why did you hit me for no reason!" Li said with horror in her eyes, covering her face.
Ye Jun glanced at her calmly, "Li Wanrong has a dirty mouth and is disrespectful to high positions. This slap is to wake you up. Don't think I'm a soft persimmon."
Li's chest rose and fell with anger. "It is a great sin to damage the appearance of the emperor's concubines. Lady Ming, aren't you afraid that I will tell the emperor?"
"Then go ahead. Anyway, I'm going to beat you today. How the emperor will deal with me is another matter."
Ye Jun sneered and left without looking back.
This happened right at the door, and the concubines who followed saw it clearly. When they passed by Li Wanrong, there was a bit of mockery in their eyes, which made her feel even more uncomfortable.
But how could she have the courage to go to the emperor
I have no choice but to bear this anger.
She hit a snag today, and she deserved the pain.
Someone saw this and naturally spread the news. Before long, Ning Chen knew about it.
"She is still the same." Ning Chen chuckled.
Yuan Jiu smiled and said, "Ming Mei has always been straightforward."